Optimizing coral placement in your aquarium

[frosty8]

I'm still pretty new to this, and I'm hoping someone can offer some guidance. I've recently added a couple of frags to my tank, and they're currently on plugs in the sand bed. I've seen people remove the plugs due to aesthetics, but I'm not sure what to do. If you look at the picture, the acan (I think that's what it is) is starting to droop off the side of the plug. Can I just leave it on the plug, or will it outgrow it and affect the coral's growth? Also, if I do decide to remove the plug and glue the coral, will it grow on most areas of the rock, or does it need a flat surface? And will it keep dividing until the rock is covered, assuming the lighting and flow are right? I know I'm asking a lot of questions, but any help would be great.

[zelkor9]

I'm not a fan of the plug look, so I usually remove them right away and glue the frag to some rock rubble. This way, you can place it wherever you want to find that perfect spot. I've done this a bunch of times, and it's really not that hard - I've never lost a frag yet. I use that crazy glue gel from the dollar store, it's super cheap and works great. For soft corals, I just lightly rubberband them to a rock until they attach on their own. If you're not comfortable removing the plug, you can leave it on - many corals will actually encrust the plug itself. And don't worry about finding a flat spot on the rock, corals can thrive on all sorts of surfaces.

[frosty8]

I appreciate the advice, really helpful.

[Riveno9]

I was a bit hesitant at first too, but I'd love to know how you actually remove the frag from the plug. I've heard you can just apply some opposing pressure and it should snap off, but I'm not sure I'm comfortable trying that. Would it be better to use a razor blade to carefully get under the glue, or is there another method that you've found works well?

[Flynnex]

I personally use a small spoon or a dull knife to gently pry it off, if my fingers aren't enough to get it off the plug.

[zelkor9]

I personally use a small spoon or a dull knife to gently pry it off, if my fingers aren't enough to get it off the plug.

I'm with you on popping them off with a knife, just be careful. For stonies, get the knife under and twist, it'll come right off. Zoas are a bit different, I just scrape them off with a blade and try to get the old glue too, makes re-gluing way easier. Just don't cut yourself, that's just common sense. When you're re-gluing, put the frag in a cup of tank water for a few minutes to set the glue, then put it back in the tank - just don't pour that water back in, you don't want all that slime in your tank. And be careful with zoas, their secretions can be toxic, so don't go eating it or getting it in your eyes - gloves and eye protection are a good idea.

I've had some success gluing softies, like kenya trees and devils hands, but mushrooms are a different story - they're just too slimy, so I just lightly rubberband them to a rock.